'IIM Srinagar, other projects must be immediately stopped': High court summons top officials over flood threat

September 8, 2025 by News Desk

The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday expressed serious concern over the looming flood threat in the Valley and summoned senior government officials for a special hearing.

The case came up during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled Environmental Policy Group (EPG) v. Union of India & Others. The Bench, led by the Chief Justice, examined an urgent six-page report submitted by EPG Convenor Faiz Bakshi through Amicus Curiae Advocate Nadeem Qadri.

The report flagged “grave deficiencies” in flood preparedness and highlighted risks to human life, property, and Kashmir’s fragile ecology. Taking cognisance, the Court directed the Commissioner Secretaries of Irrigation & Flood Control and Housing & Urban Development, along with the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, to appear personally before it on Tuesday.

The Court also ordered the government to “take urgent steps and file a comprehensive Action Taken Report (ATR)” by September 9.

In his strongly worded submission, Bakshi accused the administration of lacking direction. “The government is clueless on the way forward. Those who are competent to decide the course of action are not empowered, while those who are empowered are not inclined to act,” he wrote.

The EPG urged the Court to halt all land allotments, transfers, or construction within 500 metres of wetlands, warning that rampant encroachments were compounding flood vulnerability. “Till the government decides on a clear strategy, no land should be allotted for buildings without first verifying it is not a waterbody. Projects like Rakh Arth, Transworld University, and IIM Srinagar should be stopped immediately,” the report stated.

Bakshi also recommended creating small storage basins across Kashmir to control flood discharge. “We do not have any other viable solution. Mini dams can help moderate water flow and, if combined with solar power, can also address the Valley’s energy deficit. The answer to our two biggest woes, flood and power, lies in this strategy,” he argued.

The Court’s intervention is being seen as a move to push the government towards accountability and ensure timely action. Advocate Qadri, speaking outside the court, said: “The people of Kashmir cannot afford another tragedy like September 2014. This is a matter of survival, not convenience.”

With water levels already rising in Jhelum and Wular, the Bench is expected to review the government’s response in Tuesday’s special hearing.